Participation In Nigeria Research Articles

Analyzing the Role of Media, ICTS, and Communication Networks in Promoting Development Goals, Social Change, and Political Participation in Nigeria

Analyzing the Role of Media, ICTS, and Communication Networks in Promoting Development Goals, Social Change, and Political Participation in Nigeria

Women’s participation in Nigeria’s 2023 elections: a micro-level analysis

This study investigates a micro-level dimension of women’s participation in Nigeria’s electoral politics. It focuses on a particular local government area: Ikere, in Ekiti state in southwestern Nigeria, during the 2023 general election. The paper uses a qualitative approach to analyse the contributions of women towards the successes of their political parties at the polls, although they have not had full opportunity to contest as candidates. Key informant and in-depth interviews were conducted with respondents who were purposively selected from the leadership of political parties, academia, market and religious institutions, as well as interested onlookers. Additionally, campaign and mobilisation processes were observed during the period of this election. The study concluded that the wait for cultural and socio¬economic development to turn in favour of women’s numerical increase might not offer any realistic hope. However, the adoption of discretionary affirmative action strategies by party leaders could have a reverse effect and also reinforce prejudice.

Industrial Sector Performance and Labour Force Participation in Nigeria: A Gender Perspective

The literature on the role of industrialization in labour force participation in Nigeria is quite scanty. Besides, there is significant disparity between male and female labour force participation rates in the country. To this end, this study investigated the impact of industrial sector performance on labour force participation in Nigeria. The total industrial sector output was disaggregated into the outputs of the various components of the Nigerian industrial sector namely; manufacturing, mining and quarrying, utility and construction sectors. Total labour force participation rate was equally disaggregated into male and female labour force participation rates. Annual time-series data for the period 1981 to 2022 were used for the study. The Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) unit root test, Johansen cointegration test, error correction model (ECM), and Granger causality test were the econometric techniques used in analysing the data. The findings from the study revealed that manufacturing sector, and mining and quarrying sector outputs have significant positive impact on male labour force participation rate; construction sector output has insignificant positive impact on male labour force participation rate while utility sector output has insignificant negative impact on male labour force participation rate. On the other hand, manufacturing sector, and mining and quarrying sector outputs have significant negative impact on female labour participation rate while utility and construction sectors’ outputs have insignificant positive impact on female labour force participation rate. The main conclusion from the study is that while the total industrial sector performance largely encourages male labour force participation, it largely discourages female labour force participation in Nigeria

Information literacy and intention to adopt e-pharmacy: a study based on trust and the theory of reasoned action

BackgroundE-pharmacy has gained popularity as an increasingly utilized platform for accessing healthcare services online. However, its adoption exhibits regional variations and necessitates improvement in certain aspects. Guided by the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and Trust theory, this research explores the pivotal role of information literacy in influencing attitudes, perceived control, word of mouth, and trust. The overarching aim is to understand how these factors collectively impact the adoption of E-pharmacy services.MethodsThe study employed Structural Equation Modeling to assess data collected from 473 participants in Nigeria. This methodology allowed for a comprehensive evaluation of the intricate relationships between information literacy, attitudes, perceived control, word of mouth, trust, and E-pharmacy adoption. By utilizing statistical tests within this framework, the research sought to provide a robust analysis of the data and derive meaningful insights.ResultsThe findings of the research underscore the significance of information literacy in shaping individuals' attitudes towards E-pharmacy. Higher information literacy levels were associated with more positive attitudes, an enhanced sense of perceived control, and increased positive word-of-mouth regarding the use of E-pharmacy services. Additionally, the study revealed that trust plays a crucial intermediary role between word-of-mouth communication and the actual adoption of E-pharmacy.ConclusionsIn summary, this research offers a novel and comprehensive explanation of the relationship between information literacy and the adoption of E-pharmacy services. The study's outcomes contribute valuable insights to the ongoing discourse on E-pharmacy adoption, emphasizing its potential to enhance healthcare accessibility and efficiency within the evolving landscape of digital healthcare. The implications of the findings extend to policymakers, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders interested in optimizing the adoption and integration of E-pharmacy services.

Sports Facilities and Equipment Management: Implications for Young Athletes Sports Participation in Nigeria

Studies have indicated that management of sports facilities and equipment are imperative for young athletes’ sports participation. Sports facilities are those immobile infrastructures for sports training, competitions and events. While, sports equipment are items that are movable and are utilized for a period of time. Sports facilities and equipment management are referred to the process of planning, purchasing, administering, coordinating and evaluating the day-to-day procedure of facilities and equipment utilization. This paper explored the role of sports facilities and equipment management on young athletes’ sports participation in Nigeria. The concepts of sports facilities and equipment management were critical reviewed. Related issues were also discussed, such as; sports facilities and equipment maintenance cost, standard sport facilities, modernization in sports facilities and equipment management and safety in sports facilities and equipment usage. It concluded among others that sports facilities and equipment management create a safe and healthy environment for sports participation among young athletes, which in turn set the tone for promising great future athletic performance. It was recommended among others that personnel that will be responsible for the management of sports facilities and equipment should be experience.

To what extent do community members participate in planning, implementing health programs within their communities and what are the benefits of their participation in Nigeria?

To what extent do community members participate in planning, implementing health programs within their communities and what are the benefits of their participation in Nigeria?

US Trade Policy Uncertainty and Nigeria’s Participation in Global Value Chains: Evidence from Frequency Domain Causality, Wavelet Coherence Analysis, and Time-Varying Causality

AbstractThis study examines for the first time whether trade policy uncertainty emanating from the United States significantly predicts Nigeria’s participation in global value chains. It further examines the kind of global value chain participation in Nigeria (forward or backward linkages) that is most predictable by the United States trade policy uncertainty. To achieve the study objective, frequency domain causality, wavelet coherence analysis, and time-varying causality are employed in analyzing annual data sets over the period 1990–2019. The summary of the study findings is as follows; first, trade policy uncertainty emanating from the United States significantly predicts Nigeria’s overall integration into global value chains. Second, there is a positive association between Nigeria’s integration into global value chains and the United States trade policy uncertainty. Third, Nigeria’s overall integration into global value chains is highly correlated with the United States trade policy uncertainty in periods around the global economic crisis of 2007/08 and Nigeria’s recession of the late 2010s. Fourth, most of the predictability noticed in the relations between trade policy uncertainty generated by the United States and the overall global value chain participation is caused by the relations between the United States trade policy uncertainty and Nigeria’s forward linkage into global value chain participation.

Assessing the Gains and Challenges of Nigeria’s Participation in The Forum On China-Africa Cooperation(FOCAC)

The paper examined the benefit that Nigeria has gotten following her participation in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation(FOCAC) which was established in the year 2000 in Beijing, China. FOCAC is seen as an example of the South-South Co-operation attempt to realise the dreams of the Guandung Conference held in Indonesia in 1955. The paper relied on secondary data which were sourced from textbooks, journal papers, and seminar papers among others that are related to the subject matter and adopted complex interdependence theory as a framework of analysis. Findings from this work show that Nigeria's participation in the forum has greatly enhanced trade and increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as available data shows that FDI in Nigeria has increased exponentially heating 19.27 billion US dollars in the year 2019 against 1,900 times that of 1971 when the diplomatic ties were established. FOCAC has also helped in developing Nigeria's infrastructure like the construction of the Abuja- Kaduna railway line, among other benefits. However, findings also revealed that there are challenges in this relation, typical among them are the fear expressed by so many Nigerians of the likely hood of Nigeria falling into the Chinese debt trap, unbalanced trade which favors China, and security challenges confronting Nigeria like kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism among others. Based on this, the work recommends that China should use the platform of FOCAC to allay this fear of the debt trap and assist Nigeria in confronting these securities challenges. On the part of Nigeria, the paper recommends that Nigeria need to increase her export trade among other measures, as this will help her build a strong economy and have the resources to supply China's growing need, rather than demand for energy resources and other raw materials.

Size, geography, and GVC participation of firms in Nigeria and Rwanda: Implications for the AfCFTA

Global value chains (GVC) have recently become an important developmental issue and have become prominent within the development community. Empirical studies on the peculiar nature of firms (small-scale) in the GVC are sparse, especially in Africa. Thus, the present study empirically examines whether or not the size of the firm matters in their GVC participation in Africa. It also investigates if a firm’s geographical location spurs GVC participation. The study answers the above research questions using the World Bank's Enterprise Survey database for two African countries, namely: Nigeria, and Rwanda. Adopting a logit regression model, the findings show that firms in Africa are predominantly small-scale and sole proprietorships. The size of the firm, the legal status of the firm, firm access to ICTs, managerial experience, and the geographical location of the firm are crucial drivers of firms' GVC participation in Nigeria and Rwanda. Policy implications and recommendations for the AfCFTA are discussed in the paper.

Human Capital Investment and Labour Force Participation in Nigeria

The study investigated the effect of human capital investment on labour force participation in Nigeria from 1990 to 2021. The study used Government Expenditure on Education, Government Expenditure on Health and Government Expenditure on Research and Development to proxy human capital investment as the independent variables while labour force participation rate was used as the dependent variable. Descriptive statistics, unit root test, vector error correction model test were employed to analyze the data. The study reveals that Government Expenditure on Education (XEDU) had a negative and significant impact on Labour force participation (LBFP) in Nigeria; Government Expenditure on health (XHLT) has a positive, but statistically insignificant impact on Labour force participation (LBFP) in Nigeria. The study thus concluded that human capital investment did not promote labour force participation in Nigeria. The study recommends that there is the need for the government in Nigeria to comply with the bench mark of 26% specified by UNESCO. There is the need to improve on the pay package of the health workers and teachers at all levels of education. The government should adopt efficient planning and monitoring.

E-Government in Nigeria: Can Generative AI Serve as a Tool for Civic Engagement?

This paper examines the potential for using generative artificial intelligence (AI) to boost civic participation in Nigeria’s developing e-government ecosystem. Emerging generative technologies like ChatGPT demonstrate intriguing capabilities to make governance more interactive and engaging through conversational interfaces. Thoughtfully implemented AI tools could increase access and understanding of e-government, particularly for underserved groups. However, risks around bias, privacy, security and capability limitations pose challenges for public sector applications. Additionally, Nigeria’s substantial digital divides and defective trust in government institutions hamper e-government participation currently. This paper analyses opportunities and limitations for applying generative AI to advance civic engagement given Nigeria’s unique socio-cultural context. Findings suggest that while AI holds promise, targeted strategies focused on inclusion, accessibility, education and institutional legitimacy building are critical to realise benefits. Cautious optimism, human-centric design and responsible governance frameworks are needed to employ generative systems successfully. If challenges are addressed, AI could open innovative possibilities for energising civic participation. But further research and controlled pilot applications are required to determine optimal implementation.

Undergraduate Students’ Perception of Social Media and Youth Political Participation in Nigeria's 2023 General Elections

Thanks to the platforms made available by social media, which has now become a fully integrated part of almost every aspect of our daily lives, politics and political participation have been redefined. These platforms are strong enough to do and undo as they elevate communication above the constraints of traditional media. While the youths make up the sect that uses social media the most, there is reason to study whether or not these platforms help promote political participation among them, particularly the youths of Nigeria during the 2023 General Elections. In this context, the researcher analysed the perception of undergraduate students of Edo State University Uzairue of social media and the promotion of political participation in youths during the 2023 General Elections. The study used a survey and sampled 341 undergraduate students of Edo State University, Uzairue. The data collected was analysed using tables and percentages. The study indicated that undergraduate students of Edo State University Uzairue are frequent social media users and conversant with political participation. It was also revealed that WhatsApp is the most used social media platform for getting political information and participation. A number of the sampled students were involved during the elections, thanks to the social media platform. They acknowledged social media's importance in promoting and motivating political participation among youths despite the number of issues to be tackled.

Evaluating The Implications and Prospects of Nigeria's Participation in the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA): An Analysis of Trade Gains and Opportunities

Evaluating The Implications and Prospects of Nigeria's Participation in the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA): An Analysis of Trade Gains and Opportunities

Ethnicity, National Security And Political Participation In Nigeria

Ethnic diversity in itself does not negatively affect national security. The it imposes to national security is a result of many factors combined with political opportunity that fundamental changes occurring in the political system exploited by ethnic and sectarian groups trying to change the political system to their advantage. Many factors such as political, historical, economic, social, cultural, environmental, and psychological factors may lead ethnic groups to rebel and impose threats to the national states of any country especially developing countries. Like in many developing countries that are highly fictionalized, ethnic crisis ranks among many security challenges Nigeria, making Nigeria loosely a country at war with itself. This situation magnifies Nigeria’s political instability and the efforts of security agencies to address the range of insecurity issues which beyond fictionalization crisis encircle terrorism, banditry, ritual killings, armed robbery and kidnapping. Currently, the Nigerian military is deployed in 34 out of the 36 states plus the Federal Capital Territory in the country for one to understand the bandwidth of the national security challenges. Counselling emerge as a potential avenue for addressing the issues related to ethnicity and national security in Nigeria. The study explores the significance of counselling as a proactive and preventive measure to mitigate the negative impact of ethnicity on national security. It emphasizes the importance of promoting inter ethnic understanding, tolerance, and conflict resolution through counselling interventions. It emphasizes the importance of early identification through counselling to prevent the escalation of ethnic tensions.
 
 

Modelling the factors that determine online news-sharing behaviour of social media users: The role of perceived message and online environmental characteristics

This study modelled the online environment characteristics and message characteristics that predict news sharing among social media users. This study’s data were obtained from a cross-sectional national survey conducted in Nigeria. Qualtrics was used to recruit data from 1320 participants in Nigeria. The participants were recruited via a stratified quota sampling which reflected the country’s census statistics for gender and age. We found the message characteristics to predict news-sharing behaviour among social media users in Nigeria. By implication, the characteristics of a message encountered online influence the news-sharing behaviour of social media users. We also found that the online environment characteristics predict news-sharing behaviour, which implies that the external factor, that is, the relationship a user has with his network members, predicts sharing behaviour. Some theoretical and practical implications were provided to conclude the study.

Impact of agribusiness empowerment interventions on youth livelihoods: Insight from Africa

This study generates evidence to understand the impact of agribusiness empowerment programmes on youth livelihoods in developing countries based on the ENABLE-TAAT programme implemented in Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda. A multistage sampling technique was used in obtaining primary agribusiness-level data from a sample of 1435 young agripreneurs from the study countries. An Endogenous Treatment Effect Regression (ETER) model was used to assess the impact of programme participation on youth livelihoods (income and food security). Results show that participation significantly increased youth's agripreneurship income by 7% and improved food security by 75% for the pooled analysis. The country disaggregation results show that participation led to a 54% and 37% increase in the income of participants in Nigeria and Uganda, respectively. Also, positive and significant impacts were obtained for food security in the two East African countries. These findings suggest policy interventions or programmes focusing on youth agribusiness empowerment, particularly those that target young actors along different agricultural value chains. The study also suggests interventions geared towards mitigating constraints to credit access and productive resources by young agripreneurs to ease barriers to working capital and business innovation.

Knowledge and perspectives of community members on risk assessment for stroke prevention using mobile health approaches in Nigeria

ObjectivesTo assess the knowledge of community dwelling adults on stroke risk and their willingness to use mobile health (mHealth) technology in assessing their stroke risk. Materials and MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among adults (≥18 years old) using survey questionnaires designed by neurologists and health promotion experts and administered by trained study staff. Logistic regression models were used to assess factors associated with receptivity toward knowing individual stroke risk score and willingness to use a mobile application (App) to assess stroke risk. ResultsThe survey was administered to 486 participants in Nigeria, with a mean age of 47.4 ± 15.5 years, comprising 53.5% females. Up to 84% of participants wanted to know their risk for developing stroke but only 29.6% of respondents had ever previously had their stroke risk assessed. Factors associated with willingness to know stroke risk were age [aOR (95% CI): 0.97 (0.95 – 0.99)], and Hausa tribe [16.68 (2.16 – 128.92)]. Up to 66% of participants wanted to know their immediate risk of stroke, compared with 6.6% and 2.1% who wanted to know their 5-year or 10-year future stroke risks respectively. Regarding locations, participants preferred stroke risk assessment to be performed at a health facility, at home by health professional, on their own using mHealth (stroke risk calculator application), or at communal gatherings (decreasing order). About 70% specifically wished to learn about their stroke risk via an mHealth application. ConclusionsCommunity dwelling Nigerians wanted to know their immediate risk of stroke using digital platforms, such as a mobile phone stroke risk calculator application. Clinical trials are needed to assess the effectiveness of such a strategy for primary prevention of stroke in sub-Saharan African communities.

Customary Law and Gender Dynamics of Political Participation in Nigeria

Traditionally, gender and sex are closely linked; however, sex or sexuality differs from gender. Gender has become the preferred form in the 21st century, as it is an important factor to consider when hiring employees and in elections for political positions. Sex and gender constructs are bases for inequality and discrimination against women. Historically, the law as an instrument of social control followed the sex and gender constructs. And since men determined and dominated the law and political institutions, enactments and statutes tolerated and perpetuated women’s subjugation. Enactment, in this sense, refers to the process of passing a law, while a statute is an actual law that has been enacted. Enactment is the procedure by which a statute is created, while a statute is the outcome of that process—a written legal provision that has the force of law. Right from the family home, the female is considered a weaker sex whose voice is not to be heard, talk less about representing the clan in a patriarchal setting. This stereotypic position is prevalent in every facet of life, and it subjects womenfolk to hardship and gender-based discrimination. Although women constitute a large portion of voters, it is difficult for them to be elected to positions. It should be noted that gender is not the sole factor considered during an election. For some voters, a woman’s gender can affect their decision in an election, but generally, people vote for their parties. The dominance of a powerful class of male political elite that has historically run the political system has undermined women’s political participation and reduced their chances of nomination for positions at the party level. This article critically reviews gender issues affecting the stake of women’s political participation and examines the indicators of gender and politics in the traditional African setting within the ambit of women’s rights. Using extant international human rights laws and treaties as a guide, the article resolves that equality in political participation is a right. It is, therefore, imperative to grant women unfettered access to political participation to achieve Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which is gender equality. Gender is woven throughout the SDGs as it sits at the intersection of economic, social, and environmental issues. SDG aim to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Influence of Ideological Themes in Social Media Political Campaigns on Voters’ Education and Participation in Nigeria’s 2023 General Elections

This study adopted mixed research methods to investigate how ideological themes in social media political campaigns have influenced voters’ education and participation in Nigeria’s 2023 general elections. Through questionnaire and interview research instruments, the study found that in the last 2023 General Elections, Facebook was more often used for political campaigns in Nigeria compared to Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, google+, Facebook, WhatsApp and Blogs. These social media platforms, as the findings demonstrated, were more accessible to the voters thus, have easily became tools for political campaigns and were used to a great extent for that purpose. Unfortunately, as finding indicated, the ideological themes dominant in these platforms (social media) were to a great extent, negative as they were dominated by insults, abuse of opponents, hate speeches, falsehood, blame shifting, ethnocentric and religious undertones, anxiety and apathy among others, thereby, to a great extent, contributing to apathy among majority of voters in participating in the elections. Posting, commenting and sharing were the various ways through which those ideological campaign messages were spread to voters during the period of the last elections. The study concluded that social media has come to stay as platforms for use among stakeholders during political campaigns but its influence is abused by negative ideological construction which to a great extent, affects voters’ education and turn up in elections in Nigeria.

Political Alienation and Electoral Participation in Nigeria’s Democratization Process: A Survey of Voter Behaviour in the 2019 General

The study aimed to ascertain the reasons, nature and implication of voter abstention in Nigeria’s democratization process. The study posits that low voter turnout in Nigerian elections could be attributable to alienation and thus, sought to test the relationship between alienation and electoral participation focusing on the 2019 general elections. The study adopted the expo-facto research design. A sample of 1,200 respondents was chosen from the selected local government areas of the six zones using the stratified random sampling technique. The simple percentages and Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient statistical technique were used to test and determine the degree of association intrinsic to the stated hypotheses. The findings from the study showed that the failure of elected political officers to fulfil electoral promises, electoral fraud, and violence, are responsible for voter alienation in Nigeria. Therefore, the study suggested that elected political officials should ensure good governance based on meeting the needs of the citizenry; fraudulent practices during elections should be penalized with appropriate sanctions and the governments at all levels should put on modalities to mitigate the incidences of violence during elections.